Kila Raipur Festival

It was in 1933. Philanthropist Inder Singh Grewal visualised an annual recreational meet where farmers from areas surrounding Kila Raipur could get together and test their corporal endurance. The idea gave birth to Kila Raipur Sports, the undisputed "Rural Olympics". In over six decades the festival has grown from a toddler to a prancing, energetic youthful organisation. This pioneer rural sports festival has become an annual international event, which is normally held in the first weekend of February. A dynamic team of organisers – Grewal Sports Association – has taken yet again another pioneering step of giving rural women a break in sports.

Today this festival of the rustics attracts more than 4,000 sportsmen and women, both of recognised and traditional sports. The three-day festival is witnessed by more than a million people. Besides, several million others watch it on television, read about it in newspapers and magazines.

Whether you are in Punjab or in Toronto or in Southall, you will know the latest about Kila Raipur Sports. Its participants come from all over the globe. Since it takes several months for the immigrants in England, Canada or the USA to select, train and send their Kabbadi and Tug of War teams to this festival which of late has become a truly international, talks about destination KILA RAIPUR start much early.

For the Grewal Sports Association, it is not only the annual Rural Olympics but also sports promotion which gets its paramount attention. The Association sponsors and runs a hockey academy for schoolboys. At present 150 budding hockey stars are training at the Academy on a regular basis – 125 of them are day boarders and 25 are boarders.

Holla Mohalla Anandpur Sahib

Holla Mohalla is organized in Anandpur Sahib by the SGPC every March, and begins the day after the Hindu festival of colour, Holi. The festival is also celebrated in gurdwares across the globe.

The development of 'sports' as a modern phenomenon in Punjab derives from the leadership of the Sikhs Gurus, who encouraged their followers train as wrestlers, horse-riders, archers and more, in response to the constant warfare between Sikh and Mughal armies. It was Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, who began the custom of holding wrestling competitions in Amritsar. The festival of Holla Mohalla follows in this tradition, being a respected and, today, much-anticipated show of strength and skill. Instituted by Guru Gobind Singh on 22 February 1701 as a showcase for sikh martial arts, Holla Mohalla derives its name, in fact, quite literally from 'the charge of an army'. Thus 'Holla', or 'halla', means a military charge, while 'mohalla' means a procession, or army column.

Today, what began as a day-long exhibition of mock battles and poetry at Holgarh Fort, has expanded into a week of spectacular archery, gymnastics, riding and fencing, alongside celebratory music, poetry and kirtans. The Holgarh Fort has now been converted into the Gurdwara Holgarh Sahib, and all those who attend the festival eat their meals at langars provided by the organizers. On the last day of Holla Mohalla, a procession is organized, in precise military style complete with war drums and standard bearers, from Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib, the city’s most sacred gurdwara via the city’s many other important Sikh srines, and back to the Takhat.

Inseparable from Holla Mohalla – and, indeed, from the sikh martial tradition – are the Nihang order of Sikhs. Easily identifiable by their dark blues robes and peaked turbans, the Nihangs were the vanguard os the Guru's armies and part of an order said to have been founded by an 18th century misl chief called naina singh who first adopted this form of dress. Through a fairly small sect, the Nihangs were – and continue to be – characterized by discipline and bravery, which qualities brought them to the fore in the Khalsa, and gave them both a political and moral voice even during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Some of the most breathtaking feats at Holla Mohalla are performed by skilled Nihangs. These include the dangerous arts of tent-pegging and gatka – in the latter, 'warrious' engage in mock fights, but use real weapons. Nihangs are also skilled horse-riders, and undertake feats such as bare-back riding, and horse-back acrobatics such as standing up on a horse, riding two horses at once, and more.

Baisakhi

The Story of Baisakhi Festival began with the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Sikh Guru who was publicly beheaded by Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler. Aurangzeb wanted to spread Islam in India and Guru Teg Bahadur stood up for the rights of Hindus & Sikhs. The Mughals therefore saw him as a threat.

March 30, 1699 on this memorable day Guru Gobind Singh Sahib called a big meeting at Keshgarh Sahib near the City of Anandpur Sahib. When thousands of people assembled for Guru’s blessing, Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. He gave a powerful speech to infuse courage amongst fellowmen. At the end of the speech he said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice and demanded that anyone prepared to give his life come forward. On the Guru’s third call, a young man (Daya Ram, a Khatri of Lahore) offered himself. The Guru took him into an adjoining enclosure and soon after came out with blood dripping sword in hand and asked again, "Is there any other Sikh who will offer himself as a sacrifice (for the cause of dharma)?" At this Dharam Das, a Jat of Delhi (Haryana side) came forward and was taken into the enclosure. Guru again came out with the blood-stained sword, and made his previous demand. In the same way three other men stood up, one after another, and offered themselves for the sacrifice (Mohkam Chand, a Chhimba of Dwarka (Gujarat State); Himmat, a cook of Jagannath (Orissa State); Sahib Chand, a barber of Bidar (Karnataka State). Everyone present was worried and though that Guru Gobind Singh has killed five Sikhs. At this point Guru presented all the five men before the people. Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans and saffron - colored garments. These five were then administered "Khande di Pahul" (the double-edged Sword Amrit).

These five men were called "Panj Pyare" or "Beloved Five" by the Guru. The Guru blessed them with a Pahul ceremony. In an iron vessel, the Guru stirred with a sword called Khanda Sahib, the batasha that his wife, Mata Sundari Ji had put into water. The congregation recited verses from scriptures as the Guru performed the sacred ceremony. The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called "Amrit". It was first given to the five volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed amongst the crowd. With this ceremony, all those present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members of the Khalsa Pantha (the Order of the Pure Ones).

The Guru regarded the Panj Pyare as the first members of the Khalsa and the embodiment of the Guru himself. With the constitution of Panj Pyare, the high and low castes were amalgamated into one as among the original Panj Pyare, there was A Khatri (Shopkeeper); A Jat (Farmer); A Chhimba (Calico Printer); A Ghumiar (Water-carrier); and A Nai (Barber). The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. This was seen as a great step in national integration because society at that time was divided on the basis of religion, caste and social status.

Diwali

Among the Sikhs, Diwali came to have special significance from the day the town of Amritsar was illuminated on the return to it of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) who had been held captive in the Fort at Gwalior under the orders of the Mughal emperor, Jahangir (1570-1627) . Hence forth Diwali, like Baisakhi, became a day of pilgrimage to the seat of the Gurus. Bhai Gurdas (1636) in his Varan, has drawn an image of lamps lighted on the night of Diwali like the stars, big and small, twinkling in the firmament going out one by one bringing home to the gurmukh, one who has his face turned towards the Guru, i.e. he who is attached to the Guru, how transitory the world is. During the turbulent eighteenth century, it was customary for the roaming warrior bands of Sikhs to converge upon Amritsar braving all hazards to celebrate Diwali. It was for his endeavor to hold such a congregation at Amritsar that Bhai Mani Singh, a most widely revered Sikh of his time, was put to death under the imperial fiat. Amritsar still attracts vast numbers of Sikhs for the festival and although all gurdwaras and Sikh homes are generally illuminated on Diwali night, the best and the most expensive display of lights and fireworks takes place at the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), Amritsar